Bolivians Vote in Tense Elections Amid Economic Crisis and Potential Right-Wing Shift
In the face of a dismal election campaign overshadowed by an impending economic crisis, Bolivian citizens voted on Sunday for a new president and parliament, with the possibility of a right-wing government taking power for the first time in over two decades. This election could mark a significant turning point for the South American nation.
With close to 30% of voters undecided leading up to the election, polls indicated that the top two right-wing candidates – multimillionaire businessman Samuel Doria Medina and former President Jorge Fernando “Tuto” Quiroga – were in a dead heat. The mandatory voting system in Bolivia, where approximately 7.9 million citizens are eligible to vote, has been put to use.
The election’s outcomes could potentially position Bolivia within the growing trend of right-wing leaders emerging across Latin America, such as Argentina’s Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, and El Salvador’s Nayib Bukele. A right-wing government in Bolivia might signal a geopolitical realignment for the country, which currently maintains alliances with Venezuela’s socialist-inspired administration and nations like China, Russia, and Iran.
Both Doria Medina and Quiroga have expressed support for the Trump administration and pledged to rebuild ties with the United States – a relationship that was severed in 2008 when charismatic, long-serving former President Evo Morales expelled the American ambassador. The leading candidates have also expressed interest in fostering relations with Israel, despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two countries, and encouraging foreign private companies to invest in Bolivia’s rich natural resources.
After coming into power at the start of the commodities boom in 2006, Morales – Bolivia’s first Indigenous president – nationalized the nation’s oil and gas industry. The profits were used to reduce poverty, expand infrastructure, and improve the lives of rural communities. However, Morales was barred from this election by Bolivia’s constitutional court after serving three consecutive presidential terms and attempting an unprecedented fourth term in 2019, which led to widespread unrest and his eventual ousting.
His ally-turned-rival, President Luis Arce, withdrew his candidacy for the Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party due to dwindling popularity and nominated his senior minister, Eduardo del Castillo. As the MAS splintered, Andrónico Rodríguez – a 36-year-old senate president from Morales’ union of coca farmers – entered the race.
Rather than backing the candidate seen as his heir, Morales – who is currently evading an arrest warrant on charges related to his relationship with a 15-year-old girl and living in hiding – has encouraged his supporters to deface or leave their ballots blank.
In the event of no clear winner emerging, with neither candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote or 40% with a 10-point lead, a runoff between the top two candidates will be held on October 19 for the first time since Bolivia’s return to democracy in 1982. All 130 seats in Bolivia’s Chamber of Deputies and 36 in the Senate are up for grabs in this election.